Dear Tom,

I moved to Idaho midsummer a few years ago, and soon after found your website. Coming from a much flatter state, I had never been on a hike with more than 1000 feet of gain, but I felt drawn to the mountains. After hikes in Craters of the Moon, Kelly Canyon, and the Palisades Wilderness Study Area, a friend invited me to climb Mount Borah. By the time we were back in the parking lot, every muscle in my legs had cramped. I was exhausted, broken, and hooked. All that winter I researched hikes I could do in the spring and summer to build my legs and lungs so that a year later, I could return to Borah with a better showing.

Along the way I found your book in my local mountain trading store and recognized it from that website I found while trying to figure out if I was up for Chicken Out Ridge. I bought it without hesitation, and it has led me to so many great days in the mountains. On your website, you mentioned that your inspiration to write this book was seeing Bell Mountain and not being able to find proper information about it. I have felt that enthrallment about many mountains while hiking and driving around Idaho (including Bell Mountain, the first time I climbed Diamond Peak). “What is that!?”. Only I always know that I can turn to that orange book to find out more about that peak.

Now that I have completed the Twelvers, I wanted to take a moment to thank you and all of your friends for the great contribution to Idaho Climbing that you have made. The best way I can think of to do so is to share a brief reflection of my favorite moment on each.

Hyndman Peak – The joy of coasting down the last couple of miles on my mountain bike.

Lost River Mountain – My first ice axe glissade (not textbook).

Mount Breitenbach – Being welcomed to the summit by a Raven circling overhead, possibly carrying Jake’s spirit within.

Donaldson Peak – Finding wildflowers at the summit. Sky Pilots over 12k ft!

Mount Church – Descending from the upper pond to find that beautiful meadow scattered with bighorn ewes and lambs.

Leatherman Peak – Crossing Horseheaven Pass and hiking in the Pahsimeroi for the first time.

Mount Idaho – Finishing the Twelvers in sight of where I started my journey.

Mount Borah – Climbing my first ultra prominent peak.

Diamond Peak – Seeing the look on my climbing buddy’s face when I gifted him his home country’s flag at the summit.

When I stood atop Mount Idaho moments after completing the Twelvers, I reflected on the fact that this was not a triumphant finish, but a stepping stone into “the next”. I have longer term goals in Idaho (as well as across the border in the Tetons), including climbing the high point in each range of Idaho and reaching the top of each of the 11ers between the 12ers on the Lost River Crest, but I realized on top of Mount Idaho that those were more of a framework than a specific task that I must complete. They are a framework for living a richer, more adventurous life in the mountains.

Thanks to you, I have the perfect guide

Sam Root